


Starboy, Loverboy

by Kolivans (arka_r)



Series: tumblr drabbles [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Space, Family Shenanigans, Galra Keith (Voltron), Humor, M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-06
Updated: 2017-03-06
Packaged: 2018-09-28 17:14:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10141070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arka_r/pseuds/Kolivans
Summary: Prompt: Keith working at a coffeeshop but instead of it being adorable and he's just yelling at the trashcan to hecking work and Shiro (who has seen him around campus before) finds it adorable?feat. Shiro being a huge dork, Keith as a long-suffering nephew, minor Thace/Ulaz, and Matt is not helping at all.





	

The Epsilon Terran Base was located on the border between the Galactic Federation, the Galra Empire, and the Altean Alliance. It was a hotspot for people from across the galaxy to gather and do business together. Having born in the Base, Shiro was used with seeing different races coming from different planets, even the Galras. The union with the Galra Empire was still new and fragile, but there had been Galras living in the Base for decades–they mostly lived in the worse part of the Base and made their own community there.

 

There was a particular Galran establishment that Shiro often walked by but never actually entered. It was a small cafe located in a corner on his way from home to the Academy. The workers were all Galras, though there was one very human looking employee that Shiro saw often.  He was a guy with eyes sharp like a dagger and black hair that he often tied in a tiny ponytail. Maybe Shiro was biased since the other employees there were Galras, but Shiro couldn’t help but think that the guy was just so ridiculously cute.

 

“The only time you see him, he’s yelling and kicking the garbage incinerator’s lid. I don’t see how that’s cute”, Matt told Shiro for the umpteenth time.

 

They had this conversation often. Shiro had a problem.

 

“You don’t see him, Matt. It’s like looking at an angry kitten”, Shiro replied.

 

“Watch it, loverboy. You said he works in Galran cafe? Chances are he’s probably mixed”, Matt said very seriously. “If he hears you calling him a kitten, he’s probably gonna cut your finger or whatever that Galras do when they’re offended.”

 

–

 

Shiro saw the Cute Probably-Half-Galra Guy again when he visited the cafe a few weeks later. He just had his finals and he didn’t get to leave the campus ground often, and dammit, he really _really_ need some caffeine boost this morning, okay. It was officially the first time he entered the cafe, and he wouldn’t lie that he did feel a little bit nervous. The Galras working there were tall and wide-shouldered. Like his cashier today.

 

 _Thace_ , his nametag read.

 

“Uh. Can I have some, umm… matcha frappe? With non-lactose milk, please”, Shiro said his order.

 

“You’re new face here”, Thace suddenly said, making Shiro jump out of his skin. “We don’t very often serve non-Galra.”

 

“I like trying new places”, Shiro answered. A bit white lie. He did like to wander around the base and saw new places.

 

Thace hummed but didn’t say anything else when he handed Shiro’s order.

 

Shiro was walking out of the cafe when he noticed the Cute Guy on the alley, already kicking at the incinerator’s lid while hissing viciously in what Shiro assumed was Galran. Not long after, Thace popped out of the backdoor, also hissing in the same tongue, which the guy replied while making weird gestures with his hand, which in turn made Thace’s purple face turn a few shades darker. The whole conversation was a little bit too low and too fast for his translator to pick up, but Shiro could tell the distress in their voice.

 

Suddenly, the whole situation became less cute, more I-need-to-help-them-now. He felt like his feet were moving on their own when he approached the alley and made his presence known.

 

“Um, can I help you?” Shiro asked and felt proud when he didn’t shrink back, when the two set of eyes glared down at him, identical in manner if not in eye color. Holy shit, Matt was right. There was no way the Cute Guy wasn’t related in some way to Thace. They even shared the same frown!

 

“What do you want?” Cute Guy hissed scathingly, but at Thace’s nudge, his frown seemed to soften into a pout.

 

“I’m an engineering major. If the incinerator’s broken, I’m sure I can figure it out somehow”, Shiro offered.

 

“The Olkari who made it said this piece of junk is too old to be repaired. You sure you can do it?” Cute Guy pointed at the machinery with his thumb. 

 

“I’m familiar with Olkarian engineering”, Shiro answered confidently. 

 

Cute Guy and Thace shared a look, before Thace nodding at Shiro. “Get your tools and give the guy a hand, kit.”

 

“I have a shift!” Cute Guy–Kit?–snarled at the older Galra. “And stop calling me a kit, I’m _eighteen!”_

 

Thace only laughed in amusement when he headed back into the cafe, leaving Shiro with the mildly fuming Probably-Half-Galra-Whose-Name-May-Or-May-Not-Be-Kit.

 

“Stupid old man”, the guy shoved his hands inside dirty uniform’s pocket. “Come with me.”

 

Cute Guy guided him through the poorer part of the Base, where most Galra refugees lived back from during the wartime. Shiro’d never been here before. Everything seemed to be decorated richly in purple and red of various shades.

 

“Is… Thace your dad?” Shiro asked after they walked for a moment, part curious-part because he really needed to break the tense silence.

 

“No”, Cute Guy answered curtly all while glaring at him, and Shiro wondered if he would end up disemboweled and dead in this Galra neighborhood right there and then by the guy he was crushing on. Shiro raised his hands in surrendering gesture. Cute Guy grumbled inaudibly before entering a shabby residence.

 

There was a tall Galra sitting on the porch who was in the middle of sharpening a curved blade. Shiro stopped dead on his track, but Cute Guy greeted him warmly as if they were family. Then, Cute Guy was leaving Shiro alone with the Galra to get his toolkit.

 

Okay. He could do this, Shiro prepared himself mentally.

 

“So”, the Galra greeted Shiro almost too casually. The blade made an ear-splitting noise as its holder ground it on the whetstone. “Keith’s friend?”

 

Keith. Cute Guy’s name was Keith. Shiro nearly whooped out in joy before his brain caught himself from showing outward reaction. Guy with sword, possible family of Keith.

 

“W-we just only met”, Shiro squeaked out. His eyes were still on the dark greyish blade in the Galra’s hand.

 

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” the Galra guy smirked; with all those sharp teeth, it looked downright evil. “Luxite blade. Very rare and very sharp. Can slice through compressed carbon on trained hands.”

 

“Um.” Was that a threat? That really sounded like a threat.

 

“Quit terrorizing him, you weirdo”, Cute Guy–Keith–walked out of the house briskly, one hand carrying a heavy looking toolkit. Shiro wanted to cry with relief. Meanwhile, the Galra placed his hand on his chest, faking an offended look.

 

“Insulted! By my own nephew!” the Weird Galra cried out.

 

“You’re not my uncle!” Keith shot back, taking Shiro’s hand in his and dragged him to the street where they came from.

 

“Disowned!” Shiro could hear the Weird Galra yelling dramatically after them. Keith’s sigh was weary; it was a sigh of those who was burdened by the embarrassing actions of their weird family members. Shiro could totally relate to that.

 

“That’s Ulaz, Thace’s bondmate”, Keith explained. “He thinks I’m his nephew just because he’s sleeping with my uncle.”

 

“Oh.” TMI. They jumped right over the normal introductions and straight into the embarrassing family stories. And how should Shiro respond about this? He wasn’t prepared for this! “So… Thace is your uncle?”

 

“He and my mother were like…” Keith smacked his lips, eyebrows furrowed. “Siblings? No, that is not correct… Not close friends, not partners… I have no idea if Common has a name to it, to be honest.”

 

“Platonic soulmate?” Shiro offered.

 

Keith stared at him. “I have no idea what that means.”

 

Right. Different cultures. Keith was probably raised Galran if he lived with his weird gay alien (gaylien?) sort-of uncle.

 

In the end, Shiro told Keith about the concept of soulmate, both platonic and romantic. Keith looked very intrigued, but still insisted that the term still sounded better in Galran. As Shiro began to take a look into the (yep, ancient) incinerator, he was teaching Shiro a few Galran words, most of which were swear words. Which... Shiro swore he wouldn't repeat in front of any Galra, if he wanted to keep his life.

 

Eventually, Thace came bringing free coffee (lactose-free, money-free, Shiro was _living_ ) as a thanks for helping them with the incinerator. He even let Shiro use the shower in the cafe, probably taking pity on him and his general appearance, having to get into the incinerator and smelling like days-old trash.

 

“I think it’s gonna take a week to fix. I’m gonna ask around if I can find the parts, they are very old”, Shiro told Thace and Keith at the end of the day-cycle.

 

“We’re really grateful for your help”, the older Galra smiled wide, nudging his sort-of nephew.

 

Keith huffed, but smiled at Shiro earnestly. “Looking forward to see you tomorrow.”

 

Shiro beamed. It was going to be a great week, he could tell.

**Author's Note:**

> not very satisfied with this, but i REALLY love the idea. might revisit one day because this world needs more COFFEESHOP AU, IN SPACE!!!!
> 
> as usual, please direct your prompts and yells to [my tumblr](http://hello-my-stars.tumblr.com).


End file.
